A. Di Silverio

Cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis due to Cladosporium cladosporioides

Summary. A 54‐year‐old man, affected by pemphigus vulgaris and severe steroid‐induced diabetes, developed seven red‐brown, firm, slightly raised 0.1‐1 cm papular lesions on the anterior aspect of both knees and thighs. A cutaneous biopsy showed a granulomatous infiltrate with numerous fungal elements scattered in the dermis and also within giant cells. Cultures of cutaneous biopsy fragments on Sabouraud glucose agar in presence of chloramphenicol resulted in the growth of dark‐green colonies at 25 d̀C. They were identified as typical Cladosporium cladosporioides. As far as we know, this species was previously isolated only in an HIV‐seropositive patient as opportunistic pathogen in the site of skin testing.

Superficial mycoses observed at the Department of Dermatology of the University of Pavia. A 13-year survey.

Over a period of 13 years, 4100 specimens were cultured for fungi. Pityriasis versicolor (Malassezia furfur) was demonstrated in 17.6%, dermatophytosis in 34.6% and candidiasis in 10.8%. The most frequently isolated strains were M. canis (31.5%), T. rubrum (26.3%), E. floccosum (19.7%), T. mentagrophytes (19.3%) for the dermatophytes and C. albicans (88.9%). Those rarely seen were: M. gypseum, T. violaceum, M. audouini, T. schoenleinii. We observed the absolutely complementary results of the microscopic examinations and the cultures of the specimens.

Primary unusual cutaneous cryptococcosis in an HIV former drug-abuser patient

Summary. We describe an HIV‐positive patient suffering from cutaneous cryptococcosis who was a former intravenous drug abuser and who presented a nodulo‐ulcerated lesion on the back of his left hand. This was caused 4 months previously when the patient was injured by a pigeon nesting in an abandoned house. After fluconazole treatment for 4 months, no other visceral infections were recorded 18 months after complete healing of the lesion.

Pityriasis versicolor in a newborn Pityriasis versicolor bei einem Neugeborenen

Summary. Pityriasis versicolor is a superficial mycosis that rarely afflicts children. We present a case in a 2‐month‐old male baby in good health, with hyper‐ and hypopigmented macules located in the cervical region and on the scalp, face and chest. Moreover, we report our record of cases in infancy and the predisposing factors.

Hepatosplenic infection caused by Candida parapsilosis in patients with acute leukaernia

Zusammenfassung. Candida parapsilosis ist als Erreger der hepatolienalen Candidose ungewöhnlich. In dieser Arbeit werden zwei Fälle von Candida parapsilosis‐bedingter hepatolienaler Candidose an zwei Patienten mit akuter Leukämie vorgestellt. Die mykologische Diagnose erfolgte an Kulturen aus Material von offenen LeberMilz‐Biopsien bei herabgesetzter Dosierung der systemischen antimykotischen Therapie. Der Bericht bestätigt die Wichtigkeit einer frühzeitigen Diagnose dieser Erkrankung als Entscheidungshilfe für eine angemessene antimykotische Chemotherapie.

Specific and non-specific parameters of the host defence system in patients with superficial fungal infections

Summary. Some measures of systemic host defences, i.e. white cell counts, lymphocyte subsets, delayed‐type hypersensitivity and polymorphonuclear leucocyte functions, were evaluated in 42 patients suffering from cutaneous superficial mycoses and in 35 healthy volunteers. Patients were divided according to the extent of their lesions into two groups: group A (30 patients) with skin involvement ≥30% and group B (12 patients) with skin involvement ≤1%. No significant abnormalities in systemic defence mechanisms were observed in group B patients, whereas multiple alterations of polymorphonuclear phagocyte activities, i.e. chemotaxis, phagocytosis, mitogeninduced superoxide anion production, were observed in patients with extensive lesions. The values of these phagocytic functions remained significantly reduced (P<0.01) in these patients after recovery and during a 6‐month follow‐up period.